School buses serving Crookston Public Schools and Tri-Valley Head Start are now running cleaner and greener thanks to the voluntary efforts of the school district transportation and Tri-Valley Opportunity Council staff. Independent School District 593 and the Tri-Valley Opportunity Council recently partnered with Project Green Fleet, a collaboration of businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving Minnesota’s air quality by reducing diesel emissions.
Buses are made “green” by the installation of federally approved filters and catalyst mufflers that can reduce engine emissions by up to 50 percent. Buses eligible for retrofits are older buses with diesel engines that are expected to still provide many years of service—newer buses create less pollution and don’t need retrofits. Sixteen school buses and six Head Start buses have been retrofitted with pollution control equipment.
Diesel vehicles contribute more than 50% of the air pollution generated by all traffic in Minnesota. Those pollutants can concentrate inside a bus: studies have shown that pollution levels inside a school bus can be up to five times higher than in outdoor air. Because children breathe more air relative to their body weight than adults, they are especially susceptible to the health problems these pollutants can cause, such as asthma and other upper respiratory ailments. This is especially true for students participating in Head Start programs, who range in age from 0 to 5, and are most sensitive to pollutants found in diesel exhaust. Jason Carlson, Operations Officer says, “We at Tri-Valley are always on the lookout for ways to improve our stewardship of the planet and the health and safety of those we serve. When we heard about Project Green Fleet through the Minnesota Head Start Association we immediately signed on as a program participant."
Cleaner running buses serving Crookston Public Schools and Tri-Valley Head Start are part of a larger statewide effort by Project Green Fleet. To date, more than 1,400 buses have been retrofitted in cities such as Duluth, Bemidji, Rochester, and the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Those retrofits have reduced emissions exposure for thousands of school children. Project Green Fleet plans to retrofit all eligible school buses in the state within the next several years—a total of approximately 4000 buses.
Participation in Project Green Fleet is entirely voluntary. Air quality in Minnesota currently satisfies federal standards administered by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, there is no regulatory mandate in Minnesota to retrofit diesel engines to make them run cleaner. Despite the lack of mandate, fleets are still choosing to voluntarily reduce emissions. Rick Niemela, Director of Building, Grounds and Transportation for the school district says, “Our district chose to reduce emissions and improve the quality of the air our students and staff breathe on a daily basis.”
